Episode 49: The Confidence Comes After You Speak: Donna Riccardo on Finding Your Voice

Episode 49: The Confidence Comes After You Speak: Donna Riccardo on Finding Your Voice

In this episode of The Comeback Season Podcast, Christi Kelsey talks with professional speaker, trainer, author, and public speaking coach Donna Riccardo about why public speaking is about so much more than standing on a stage. Donna shares how her own early speaking experiences included freezing, going mute, and feeling completely unprepared, and how learning to speak became both a personal development and spiritual journey. Together, Christi and Donna explore how women can begin finding their voice again after seasons of uncertainty, rebuilding, career change, empty nesting, or personal growth. Donna explains why confidence does not usually come before speaking; it is built through preparation, practice, and the courage to begin. She also shares practical tips for sounding natural but polished, using eye contact and body language well, telling your story from a place of healing, and speaking with presence instead of perfection. This conversation is a reminder that your story has value, your voice matters, and you do not have to wait until you feel fully confident to begin sharing what you have learned. Donna’s free resource: www.showupspeakup.com

Episode 48:From Fear to Faith: How Nervous System Regulation Helps You Lead, Heal, and Trust Yourself

In this episode of The Comeback Season, Nichole sits down with Kristi of SomaSkye Wellness, a nervous system educator, somatic practitioner, and lead facilitator of the Subconscious Imprinting Technique Certification Program. Kristi shares how her own experience with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and living in survival mode led her to study the nervous system and the vagus nerve. Together, Nichole and Kristi unpack why fear does not have to disappear before we take action, how the body can hold onto past experiences, and why true transformation often requires more than mindset alone. They also explore somatic authority, capacity, trauma stored in the body, and the importance of learning to trust the signals your body is giving you. Kristi offers a simple starting point for anyone feeling disconnected: pause, check in with the body, notice what is happening, and practice staying present without immediately trying to fix it. This conversation is a grounding reminder that nervous system regulation is not just a wellness tool. It is a powerful foundation for leadership, decision-making, healing, and sustainable growth. Get Kristi’s Free Resource here: https://login.somaskyewellness.com/courses/offers/5aa39406-cf65-40dc-9ca4-941b987b635d From Fear to Faith is access to a previously recorded 3-day experience designed to shift your relationship with fear so you can stop waiting to feel ready and start moving from a deeper place of self-trust. Fear can come along for the ride—it just doesn’t get to drive. Kristi McLeod is a nervous system educator and somatic practitioner who works with leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations to build the internal capacity required for clear decision-making and sustainable leadership. She is the Lead Facilitator of Subconscious Imprinting Technique (SIT) Certification Program and is passionate about translating complex nervous system science into practical, embodied tools that actually integrate. Kristi is known for her no-fluff approach and her ability to help leaders create safety in the body -because nervous system regulation is a competitive advantage in leadership, performance, and sustainability. Free resource: From Fear to Faith is access to a previously recorded 3-day experience designed to shift your relationship with fear so you can stop waiting to feel ready and start moving from a deeper place of self-trust. Fear can come along for the ride—it just doesn’t get to drive. https://login.somaskyewellness.com/courses/offers/5aa39406-cf65-40dc-9ca4-941b987b635d

Episode 47: From Reactor to Creator: How to Rewrite Your Self-Talk with Ly Smith

In this episode of The Comeback Season Podcast, Christi sits down with Ly Smith, founder of UpCycle Coaching and creator of the G3 Collective, for a powerful conversation about self-talk, identity, and moving from “reactor” to “creator.” Ly shares the deeply personal moment in Hawaii when she realized she had become disconnected from herself, covered in the language of “I’m just.” From that moment, she began a journey of rediscovering who she was, what made her feel alive, and how to help other women do the same. Together, Christi and Ly talk about the inner critic, the false narratives many women carry, why negative self-talk feels so believable, and how small reframes can help women rebuild confidence, direction, and trust in themselves. Ly also shares her Reactor to Creator framework, her C.A.N.D.Y. Method, and a simple mirror practice women can use to begin reconnecting with themselves. Connect with Ly: Website: www.rewriteyourselftalk.com [http://www.rewriteyourselftalk.com] UpCycle Coaching: www.upcyclecoaching.com [http://www.upcyclecoaching.com] Instagram: @upcycle.coaching Facebook: @upcyclecoaching

Episode 46: Delayed Dreams Are Not Wasted Seasons with Leslie Nelson

In this episode of The Comeback Season, Christi sits down with Leslie Nelson, founder and CEO of Pivotal Connections.Leslie shares her powerful journey of earning her first college degree over the course of 13 years while navigating military life, motherhood, frequent moves, lost credits, career interruptions, and the feeling of sometimes losing herself along the way. Her story is a beautiful reminder that delayed dreams are not wasted dreams, and that growth does not have to happen on anyone else’s timeline.Christi and Leslie also talk about the unique sacrifices of military families, the value of stay-at-home parents, the importance of support systems, setting meaningful goals in every season, and learning to honor the work women do inside their homes and families.Leslie also shares the heart behind her book, Giving, Recklessly, and how generosity can be expressed not only through money, but through time, hospitality, encouragement, friendship, care, and support.Connect with Leslie:LinkedIn: Leslie K. Nelson, MBAInstagram: @pivotconnn [https://www.instagram.com/pivotconn/]Generosity Workbook: www.generosityworkbook.com [www.generosityworkbook.com]Book: Giving, Recklessly

Episode 45: Money, Mindset, and Your Comeback Season with Lori Curtiss

In this episode of The Comeback Season, Nichole sits down with Lori Curtiss, an advice-only financial planner and founder of A Moneymaker Mindset, to explore the emotional side of money. Lori shares how early experiences, financial shame, and old beliefs can shape the way we manage, avoid, or control money long into adulthood. Together, they talk about why money is emotional before it is mathematical, how financial stress affects the nervous system, and why awareness is the first step toward change. Lori offers practical ways to begin rebuilding financial confidence, including looking at your finances without judgment, tracking your spending with curiosity, and creating a values-based spending plan instead of a restrictive budget. This conversation is for anyone who feels overwhelmed, ashamed, or stuck around money, especially during a comeback season after divorce, health challenges, loss, or major life transition. It is a reminder that financial peace does not come from having everything figured out at once. It begins with one honest, manageable step. Connect with Lori here: www.amoneymakermindset.com @amoneymakermindset Get Lori's discount and free resource here: The Comeback Season Exclusive Offer -Enjoy 20% off any of my three financial planning services. We’ll start with a complimentary introductory meeting to explore what feels like the right fit for you. https://www.amoneymakermindset.com/financial-planning-services Discount Code: COMEBACK20 I also invite listeners to check out my free Investing Basics in Canada series: https://www.amoneymakermindset.com/investing-basics-in-canada